Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge is one of over 540 wildlife refuges in the National Wildlife Refuge System, which is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service of the federal government's Department of the Interior.

The mission of the Refuge System is "to administer a national network of lands and waters for the conservation, management, and where appropriate, restoration of the fish, wildlife, and plant resources and their habitats within the United States for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans."

Blackwater Refuge is part of the Chesapeake Marshlands National Wildlife Refuge Complex, which is also comprised of Eastern Neck NWR, Martin NWR, Susquehanna NWR and the Barren Island, Watts Island, Bishops Head, Garrett Island and Spring Island Divisions.

Note: For the protection of the wildlife, only Blackwater and Eastern Neck are open to the public.

Read below for more information on these areas:

• Blackwater NWR Brochure (2.6MB PDF)
• Blackwater NWR 2006 Fact Sheet (566KB PDF)
• Blackwater NWR Map (370KB PDF)

• Chesapeake Marshland NWR Complex website
• Chesapeake Marshlands NWR Complex Map
• Chesapeake Marshlands NWR Complex 2006 Fact Sheet (450KB PDF)
• Eastern Neck NWR website
• Eastern Neck NWR brochure (3.6MB PDF)
• Martin NWR website
• Susquehanna NWR website
• Garrett Island Acquisition Press Release

Note: As of September 2007, Suzanne Baird will be Project Leader for the Chesapeake Marshlands NWR Complex, due to the retirement of Glenn Carowan at the beginning of 2007.

In 2003, the National Wildlife Refuge System celebrated its Centennial Anniversary. The Friends of Blackwater created a slide show to mark this important occasion. Visit the Centennial Slide Show on the Friends website to learn more about the birth of the Refuge System.